Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes 'surprised' but supports Laurent Duvernay-Tardif's opt-out decision '100 percent'

The first shoe has officially dropped ahead of NFL training camp, with Kansas City Chiefs starting guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif exercising his right to opt out of the 2020 season due to concerns surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Duvernay-Tardif, a licensed medical doctor, thanked both the league the NFLPA for coming to terms on safety protocols but also noted his persistent concern over risking contracting the novel coronavirus -- having combated it on the front lines this offseason and seen firsthand what it can do to the human body. The 29-year-old made it clear that if he's to continue taking the risk, it'll be to continue battling the disease as opposed to players in differing jerseys, and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes offered up a hearty salute after hearing the news. 

Although admittedly "surprised" by Duvernay-Tardif's decision, he's completely on board with it. 

"[I] respect his decision," Mahomes said to media on a Saturday conference call, via NFL.com. "He's a guy that's been on those front lines working with the people that are suffering from COVID day to day and putting in all that time and all that work. He understands it and his decision was he wanted to stay there. He wanted keep helping in that capacity and I know it was difficult for him, but you respect the decision for him to kinda put his thoughts aside and kinda do what he thought was best to help out his community and the world as he sees it."

For his part, head coach Andy Reid found the decision heartwarming.

"[I am] so happy and proud [of Duvernay-Tardif]," he said, via Vahe Gregorian of The Kansas City Star. 

Duvernay-Tardif was set to earn just under $3 million in salary in 2020 after starting 14 games for the Chiefs in their Super Bowl run last season and having established himself as one of their key pieces in the process. He'll instead earn just $150,000 following his decision to sit -- the agreed-upon rate for low-risk players who opt out of this coming season. 

"From everybody that I've spoken to, everybody respects his decision 100 percent," Mahomes said. "Larry's a guy who loves football, but he also loves his other passions and being a doctor is extremely important, especially at this time that we're at in this world. And so for him, I know it's difficult for him, he wants to be out here with us, he wants to be a part of us, he wants to be a part of the guys. But at the same time, he wants to make sure he's doing something to make the world a better place and I believe he is doing that. 

"He's seen it first-hand and he understands he has to be in that place now and we're gonna respect it and give him as much support as we can."

Duvernay-Tardif is the first-ever practicing medical doctor who also actively plays for an NFL team and, as such, became the first ever licensed doctor to win a Super Bowl. He initially had hopes of helping the Chiefs to a potential repeat, but instead feels duty calls in the battle against COVID-19, and no one in the organization believes he's leaving them hanging. That said, the reality is the Chiefs are now down a starting interior offensive lineman and must adapt quickly in training camp. 

That's far from the biggest concern in Kansas City at the moment though, with the most poignant one being a return to team facilities in a world where everything can get done to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but the risk of contracting it will always be present.

"Definitely there's gonna be a little concern," Mahomes admitted. "You'd be lying to say you have no concern, but at the same time as I've been throughout the facility now the last night and a little bit today and seeing all the protocols and all the safety things that [Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance] Rick [Burkholder] and all these guys have put forth, it's really kinda made me feel even better than I thought coming in. Knowing how much that the NFL and the NFLPA has really put in to making sure that we can be as safe as we possibly can be. That's kinda put my mind at ease of knowing I'm going to be in the best possible situation, given the time, to be as safe and as healthy as possible."

Players from around the league share in Mahomes' and Duvernay-Tardif's concerns, and as the latter opts out, all eyes are on who -- if anyone -- will follow suit in the coming days. And as for the Chiefs lineman, who did well in protecting Mahomes' front last season, he can take added solace in the fact his QB has his back.